Mohammad AlSabeeh
Center for Experiential Learning ‎
Olin/UnitedWay Board Fellow Program 2013 - 2014
Empowerment Through
Micro-Enterprise
“Twice as many persons with disabilities are starting their own businesses as ‎people who are
nondisabled”. Thomas C.Weiss (Jul 04, 2009)‎

Purpose
 Frame the nature, scope and
overall direction of the
proposed "micro-enterprise"
initiative, and Focus the
energies of stakeholders.

A Little Bit of History ‎
 Founded in 1970 by Max and Colleen Starkloff.
 One of the first ‎federally funded Independent Living Centers
in the county.
 Provide over 40 ‎services addressing the needs of individuals
with all types of disabilities to advance the independent living
philosophy.
 The largest organization serving people with disabilities,
located in ‎St. Louis. ‎

A Little Bit of History ‎
 Just Launched its strategic plan, continuing emphasis on
serving ‎people with disabilities to increase their
independence through choice and ‎opportunity and aims to be
the leader in a field. ‎

Current Market Focus
Market
Segmentation
Federally
Funded
Program
Non
Federally
Funded
Program
Low income
people
Most 40
Paraquad
services
Donations,
Sponsorship
Middle
income
people
Private money,
Donation.
Fees
 Historic focus on low income.
 High competition.
 Not known for fundraising, or
private money donors.
 Limit growth opportunity

Opportunity for Growth
Market
Segmentation
Federally
Funded
Program
Non
Federally
Funded
Program
Low income
people
Most 40
Paraquad
services
Donations,
Sponsorship
Middle
income
people
Private money,
Donation.
Fees
 The Middle Income segment
is huge and not limited to
government funding.
 ‎In order to attract more
private money:
 Introduce more non-‎funded
programs that targets middle-
income people, in addition to
low-income ‎people.‎

Criteria for New Programs
 Solve systemic needs.
 Promote autonomy. (aligned with our mission and vision).
 Scalable.
 Fit middle and low income segments.
 Attract publicity, promote Paraquad brand awareness.
 Opportunity for at least two of three:
 Sponsorship and donation: from organization and individual.
 Fees: from middle income participants.
 Government grants: either from Medicare or other programs.

Proposal
Educational program:“EmpowermentThrough
Micro-Enterprise”

Why?
“Twice as many persons with disabilities are
starting their own businesses as ‎people who
are nondisabled”. Thomas C.Weiss (Jul 04, 2009)‎
Position Paraquad as go-to disability
empowerment experts, across the
socioeconomic spectrum.

Who is in the market ?
Success story
 The Abilities Fund (Iowa , Nebraska)
 Nonprofit, provide financial products, training, technical
assistance services and advisory support to individuals with
disabilities.
 In 2003, the US Department of Education-Rehabilitation
ServicesAdministration awarded a $500,000 grant to the
Abilities Fund to cultivate connections between
microenterprise organizations andVR clients.
 In 2006 - 2008,TheAbilities Fund received funding from
Citigroup for their project targeting women entrepreneurs
with disabilities in need of growth capital.

Who is in the market ?
Success story
 Disabled Businesspersons Association (DBA)
 Nonprofit, public charity and educational organization.
 Founded in 1991 by Urban Miyares, aVietnam disabled veteran
and entrepreneur.
 Offers education, consulting and mentoring.
 Most education provided by the founder and CEO Urban
Miyares.

Who is in the market ?
Government support
 Illinois, Iowa, Minority,Women, and Disabled business
owner can apply for Loan Program up to $50,000 or 50 % of
a total project cost
 Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi have different
financial programs for Disabled business owner.

Mission
 ‎“Micro-enterprise for Disabled People” identifies,
manages and offers education ‎and other consulting services
through outside partner relationships that
help ‎Paraquad participants‎‎become more independent
through the establishment of ‎their own small businesses. “
 We offer basic entrepreneurship skills for establishing small
businesses, as opposed to advanced courses or skills offered
by universities or ‎entrepreneurship centers. By doing this,
we target an underserved segment. ‎

Who We Are NOT
 We are not an educational organization, nor a business
consulting company.
 Our core ‎competency is in serving the disabled
community, ‎which we intend to leverage through
partnerships ‎with outside providers.
 Thus, while we won’t directly provide the needed ‎services,
we are the face of the service in the eyes of our participants. ‎

Strategy: Bridge the Gap
 Through our program offerings, we intend to fill the gap
between entry-level needs among the disabled and the kinds
of services otherwise available in the general market.
 Thus, we aim to develop participants to the point where they
can exit our system and continue with professional services
in the general ‎market (Business schools, local
entrepreneurship ‎organizations, professional consulting
services).‎

Internal Growth Strategy
Leveraging Existing Competencies
 Paraquad currently has active education programs
(Continued education) offering ‎different courses in basic
math and IT, and promote responsibility.
 We intend to ‎build upon this existing foundation by
integrating needed outside programs into ‎this existing
infrastructure.
 By doing this, we not only attend to the needs of the ‎existing
participant audience but also build a foundation for
expanding into the ‎targeted middle-income level
segment.

Internal Growth Strategy
Leveraging Existing Competencies
 Positioning the program as an open “micro-enterprise class”
to anyone in the wider disability community.
 Apart ‎from the instructor and the target audience, the
administration of this program ‎won’t be any different than
any other course currently offered. ‎

How?
Internal Growth Strategy‎
 Where to position the program inside Paraquad?
 Two Options : Open Courses‎OR Employment Program
 Recommend Open Courses‎‎not Employment Program
 ‎The targeted middle-income segment consists of potential
participants who ‎are not looking for a job. As such,
“employment program” is not a relevant ‎entry point for them.‎
 ‎The level of participation and growth of the program is the
criteria for ‎success of this initiative. As such, it is not
measured by employment or the ‎successful launch of a
business. The Micro-Enterprise initiative is ‎educational at its
core, as opposed to that of an incubator or
business ‎accelerator.‎

‎Suggested Program Structure‎
Fit: Is Entrepreneurship ForYou?
a.‎What are the opportunities for
disabled people? ‎
- Micro-Enterprise or small
businesses. ‎
- Home-Based Business concept. ‎
- Success story from people with
disability. ‎
b.‎Readiness assessment: how well
do you fit the opportunity, in terms
of knowledge, abilities, skills and
needed motivational characteristics?
Business Skills- Building Business Plan
a. Finding and Evaluating
opportunities.
b. Legal Structure andTaxes
c. Business model
d. Business Plan
e. Finance the business
f. Small Business resources in
the area.
Technical Skills – as needed
- Sell at eBay, and using PayPal.
- Use FreeLancer.com
- Legal Structure andTaxes
-Applying for grants and
finance.
- Building Online store.
- Marketing and Social Media
- Special business skills
Mentoring
- Can start any time between
second and third stage.
- Help with any special
business requirements.
- Help with needs because of
disability.

‎Suggested Program Structure‎
Fit: Is Entrepreneurship ForYou?
- Our Focus, what is
missing in the market
for disabled people.
- Host it in our
facilities.
Business Skills- Building Business Plan
-Next step for
interested Participant.
-Can be long Process
-Our Partner host the
class.
-We can host it if we
have enough participant
Technical Skills – as needed
-Expect lower number
because not all business
the same.
-We can refer them to
online courses and local
help.
- Same as step two
Mentoring
Through Partnership
We should not be
involve in this stage
except for publicity if
one open her business.

Potential Partners
 St. Louis Score: http://stlouis.score.org/
 A 50 year National non-profit association dedicated to
entrepreneur education.
 Offers affordable workshop, free online workshop, and
Mentoring for small business.
 The Abilities Fund
 US Small Business Administration.
 Full section about People with Disabilities starting their own
business. http://www.sba.gov/content/people-with-disabilities
 Arch Grants: http://archgrants.org/
 Business Plan competition in St. Louis
 St. Louis gate for entrepreneurs to investment

Potential Partners
 Universities:
 Washington University in St. Louis – Olin
Business School
 Top 5 entrepreneurship school in the US.
 Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies.
 St. Louis University- John Cook School of
Business
 The Center for Entrepreneurship

The Next Step
 Communicate with potential partners, and build
the relationship and partnership.
 Start the pilot courses.
 Mr. David Pannell volunteered to instruct the
first two course. ( a few hours lecture)
 GO/ NO GO decision?
 When decide GO: utilize Olin MBA students to
establish the program through Board Fellow
program.

Thank you
If you have any question please contact me at:
Email: Malsabeeh@wustl.edu
Email :Malsabeeh@gmail.com
Twitter: @malsabeeh